ALLETE Enters Agreement to be Acquired by a Partnership Led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners to Advance ‘Sustainability-in-Action’ Strategy

ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) and a partnership led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (“CPP Investments”) and Global Infrastructure Partners (“GIP”), (the “partnership”), today jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which the partnership will acquire ALLETE for $67.00 per share in cash, or $6.2 billion including the assumption of debt.

ALLETE is a leading energy company and provider of safe, reliable, and competitively priced energy with a national footprint. Together, ALLETE and its family of companies, which includes regulated utilities and renewable energy companies, are focused on driving the clean-energy transition by expanding renewables, reducing carbon, enhancing grid resiliency, and driving innovation.

“Our ‘Sustainability-in-Action' strategy has secured ALLETE’s place as a clean-energy leader. Through this transaction with CPP Investments and GIP, we will have access to the capital we need while keeping our customers, communities and co-workers at the forefront of all that we do, with continuity of our day-to-day operations, strategy and shared purpose and values,” said ALLETE Chair, President, and Chief Executive Officer Bethany Owen. “CPP Investments and GIP have a successful track record of long-term partnerships with infrastructure businesses, and they recognize the important role our ALLETE companies serve in our communities as well as our nation’s energy future. Together, we will continue to invest in the clean-energy transition and build on our 100 plus-year history of providing safe, reliable, affordable energy to our customers."

CPP Investments and GIP are premier, well-resourced infrastructure investors at a global scale with deep industry expertise and long-term outlooks. Together, they bring over four decades of experience investing in large-scale infrastructure businesses across sectors to support sustainable, long-term growth. Both CPP Investments and GIP pride themselves on their responsible investment approach, which is centered on delivering value to their organizations and the communities in which they operate.

Owen continued, “Our ‘Sustainability-in-Action' strategy will require focused execution and significant capital. Transitioning to a private company with these strong partners will not only limit our exposure to volatile financial markets, it also will ensure ALLETE has access to the significant capital needed for our planned investments now and over the long term. Importantly, CPP Investments and GIP are aligned with ALLETE’s values of safety, integrity, planet and people. They also recognize the importance of our employees and our ties to the communities we serve and in which we operate. To that end, we are proud to remain locally managed as we enter this next chapter as committed as ever to our customers, our communities and our employees. I look forward to all we will achieve together.”